France - List of Foundation Dates

NB: as far as known, foundation dates refer to football sections of the clubs
    and not necessarily to the clubs themselves

(Until 1900)
1872        Football Club Havrais                      [did not play football but "combinaison"; disbanded 1882]
1879        Paris FC
1882        Racing Club de France (Paris)
1883        Stade Français de Paris
1890        Paris Association FC
1891        White Rovers FC (Paris)
            Standard Athletic Club (Paris)             [founded as Gordon FC] 
1892        Sporting Club Neuilly                      [founded as Cercle Athlétique]    
            Cercle Pedestre d'Asnières 
            Club Français de Paris
            International Athletic Club (Paris) 
            Club Malherbe Caennais                     [merged 1913 with Club Sportif Caennais to Stade Malherbe Caennais]    
            FC Grenoble                                [merged 1997 with SC Grenoble to Grenoble Foot 38]  
1893        FC Mulhouse                                [founded as FC Mülhausen]
1894        United Sport Club (Paris)
            FC Levallois                               [merged 1950 with Racing Club de Colombes to Levallois SC]  
            Union Athlétique du 1er Arrondissement de Paris
            Red Star de Paris 
            Stade Bordelais   
            Le Havre Athletic Club                     [founded in 1884; football section since 1894; the foundation year of 1872, as
                                                        claimed by the club itself, in fact referred to FC Havrais]
            Sporting Club de Tourcoing  
            Union Sportive de Calais                   [merged 1974 with Racing Club de Calais to Calais RUFC]  
            Iris Club (Lille)                          [merged 1944 as Olympique Irish Club with SC Fivois to Olympique SC Lille]
1895        Racing Club de Roubaix
            FC Lyon  
            Olympique de Paris    
1896        Racing Club de France (Paris)
            FC Dieppe 
1897        Red Star Amical Club (Paris)
            Burdiglia (Bordeaux)
            Racing Bordelais  
            Jeunes Sports de Bordeaux
            Sports Athlétiques Bordelais 
            Union Sportive d'Avranches 
1898        Union Sportive de Marseille
            Sporting Club de Marseille 
            Étoile des Deux Lacs (Paris) 
            Sports Athlétiques Toulousains 
            Union Sportive de Tourcoing 
            Union Sportive de Boulogne Côte d'Opale    [founded as US Boulonnaise] 
1899        Olympique de Marseille
            FC Rouen                                   [founded as FC Rouennais]
            Club Sportif Caennais                      [merged 1913 with Club Malherbe Caennais to Stade Malherbe Caennais]
1900        Union Sportive Troyenne                    [merged 1931 with AS Sainte-Savine to AS Troyenne et Savienne]  
            FC Haguenau                                [merged 1987 with Sports Réunis Haguenau to FC Sport Réunis Haguenau] 
 
(Main foundations 1900-1950)
1901        Stade Rennais FC
            Nimes Olympique                            [founded as Sporting Club Nimois] 
            Amiens SC                                  [founded as Amiens Athlétic Club] 
            FC Sète                                    [founded as Olympique Cettois]
            FC Nancy                                   [founded as Stade Universitaire Lorrain] 
            Sporting Club d'Abbeville                  [founded as Football Abbevillois]
1902        Racing Club de Calais                      [merged 1974 with Union Sportive de Calais to Calais RUFC]
            UA Cognac 
            Olympique Lyonnais                         [founded as Lyon Olympique as merger of Racing Club, Stade Lyonnais,  
                                                        Phylegie Club and Club Sportif Lyonnais]   
            Olympique Sport Club de Lille Métropole    [founded as Olympique Lillois] 
            Stade Lavallois Mayenne FC                 [founded as Stade Lavallois] 
            Union Sportive du Mans                     [merged 1985 with Stade Olympique du Maine to Le Mans Union Club] 
            Stade Béthunois FC
            Union Sportive de Chantilly  
1903        Monaco Sport                               [founded as Herculis FC de Monaco; merged 1924 with  Swimming Club,
                                                        AC Riviera, Etoile de Monaco and AS Beausoleil                                                                                                                                 to   Association Sportive de Monaco FC]
            La Berrichonne de Chateauroux 
1904        OGC Nice Côte d'Azur
            Olympique FC de Charleville
            Pau FC                                     [founded as Bleuets Notre-Dame de Pau]                 
            Paris Saint-Germain FC                     [founded as Stade Saint-Germain]
            Stade Helvétique de Marseille 
1905        Association Jeunesse Auxerroise
            Besançon Racing Club                       [founded as Racing Club Franc-Comtois de Besançon] 
            Stade Quimpérois
            Thionville FC                              [founded as FC Diedenhofen]   
1906        Racing Club de Lens                        [founded as Racing Club Lensois]
            Racing Club de Strasbourg                  [founded as FC Neudorf] 
            Association Sportive de Cherbourg Football [founded as Stella de Cherbourg]
            Section Athlétique Universitaire de Limoges
1909        Association Sportive de Cannes 
            Union Sportive de Forbach                  [founded as SC Forbach as merger of FC Phönix, FC Triumph and FC Hansa]
1910        Athlétic Club Ajaccien
            Association Sportive Nancy-Lorraine        [founded as US Frontière] 
1911        Stade de Reims                             [founded as Société Sportive du Parc Pommery]
            Stade Beziérs Sport                        [later merged with other clubs to Entente Sportive Bitteroise] 
            Clermont Foot Auvergne                     [founded as Stade Clermontois]
            Jeunesse Athlétique Armentièroise
1912        Hyères FC
            En Avant de Guingamp 
            Blois Foot 41                              [founded as AAJ Blois]                  
            FC Antibes Juan-les-Pins                   [founded as Olympique d'Antibes] 
            Union Sportive d'Albi
            Spiel-Vereinigung Metz 1912                [merger of Metzer SpVgg, FC Metis Metz and FC Alte Herren Metz]
1913        Valenciennes FC                            [founded as FC de Valenciennes]
            Athlétic Club Arlésien                     [merger of Arles Sports, Arles Auto-vélo and La Pédale joyeuse]
            Association Sportive de Chatou             [founded as Jeunesse Sportive de Chatou]
1917        Red Star de Limoges
            UNion Sportive Alençonnaise 61             [founded as Club Sportif d'Alençon] 
1919        Angers Sporting Club de l'Ouest            [founded as Sporting Club de l'Ouest Angers] 
            Club Sportif Sedan Ardennes                [founded as Union Athlétique Sedan-Torcy]
            Athlétique Club Cambrésien 
            FC des Girondins de Bordeaux 
            Club Sportif Orne 1919 Amnéville-les-Thermes 
            Cercle Athlétique Bastiais                 [merged 1988 with Gallia Lucciana and AS Toga Cardo to Cercle
                                                        Athlétique Bastais Gallua Lucciana]
            Union Sportive du Littoral de Dunkerque 
1920        Angoulême Charente FC                      [founded as SC Angoulême]
            FC Istres Ouest Provence                   [founded as Section Sportive Istréenne] 
            Union Sportive Orléanaise                  [founded as Arago Sports Orléanais] 
            Etoile Filante Bastiaise  
            Sports Réunis de Colmar                    [founded as Association Sportive de Colmar]
            Sports Réunis de Haguenau                  [merged 1987 with FC Haguenau to FC Sports Réunis Haguenau]
1921        FC Martigues                               [founded as Sporting Club de Martigues]
1923        Olympique d'Alès                           [founded as Olympique Alésien as merger of Red Star, Boxing
                                                        and Club Sportif des Cheminots]
1924        Association Sportive de Monaco FC          [merger of Monaco Sport, Swmming Club, AC Riviera,
                                                        Etoile de Monaco and AS Beausoleil]
            Entente Sportive de Wasquehal              [founded as Union Sportive de Wasquehal]   
1925        Chamois Niortais FC 
1926        FC Lorient-Bretagne Sud                    [founded as FC Lorientais]
1927        FC Annecy
1928        FC Sochaux-Montbéliard                     [founded as FC Sochaux]
            Excelsior Athlétic Club de Robaix          [merger of FC Roubaix and  EXcelsior Club de Tourcoing]
1931        Avignon Football 84                        [founded as Association Sportive Avignonaise]
1932        FC Metz                                    [merger of AS Metz and CA Messin Metz]            
1933        Association Sportive de Saint-Etienne
            Sporting Club du Temple Toulon
1935        Association Sportive de Porto Vecchio
1937        Toulouse FC            
1940        FC Gueugnon                                [merger of AS Société Municipale and AS Foch]
1941        Association Sportive Aixoise
1943        FC Nantes Atlantique                       [founded as FC Nantes as merger of Saint-Pierre, Stade Nantais UC,
                                                        AC Batignolles, ASO Nantaise and  Mellinet]                                                              
1944        Sporting Toulon Var                        [merger of Sporting Club du Temple and Jeunesse Sportive Toulonnaise]
1945        Club Olympique de Roubaix-Tourcoing        [merger of Racing Club de Roubaix, Excelsior de Roubaix and US Tourcoing]
            Union Sportive de Saint-Denis 
1946        Association Sportive d'Algrange
1947        Limoges FC                                 [merger of Red Star and Union Sportive Athléthique de Limoges]
1950        Stade Brestois 29                          [merger of Armoricaine,  Avenir, Milice Saint-Michel, Jeunes de Saint-Marc
                                                        and Flamme du Pilier Rouge]             

Corsica List of Foundation Dates

1905        Sporting Club de Bastia
1908        Union Sportive des Clubs du Cortenais 
1910        Athletic Club Ajaccio
            Gazelec FC Olympique Ajaccio
1918        Borgo FC 
1920        Cercle Athletique Bastiais
            Football Jeunesse Etoile (Biguglia)
1928        Olympique de Ajaccio 
1919        Gallia Club de Lucciana
1935        AS de Porto-Vecchio
1936        Squadra Valinco Alta Rocca Rizzanese       [founded as CA Propriano] 
1976        FC Balagne
1986        FC Squadra Calvi                           [founded as FC Calvi]
1987        AS Furiani-Agliani
2001        Racing Club du Centre (Morosaglia)
2017        FC Bastia-Borgo


Women Club Foundation Dates

1902        En Avant! de Paris                         [refounded 1912]
1912  Jul   Fémina Sport de Paris                      [1911 split from En Avant!]  
            En Avant de Paris
1915        Académia Club de Paris
1918        AS de la Seine (Paris)                     [founded as Cercle des Sports de Paris]
            Club Féminin Français (Paris)
            Olympique de Paris                         [merger of Olympique de Pantin and SC Vaugirard]
1919        Ecole du Haut Enseignement Commercial (Paris)
1920        Les Sportives de Reims                     [founded as Gallia Club Remois]
            US Clodoaldienne
            Ruche Sportive Féminine (Paris)
            Les Sportives de Paris
            AS Versaillaise
            Fémina de Quevillaise (Rouen)
1921        La Stella du Raincy
192?        Club Athlétique de la Société Générale de Marseille
1927        Olympique de Marseille

1957        ES Cormelle-le-Royale
1968        Vie au Grand Air de St.-Maur (St.-Maur-des-Fossés)
            Association Sportive Jeunesse Soyaux (Soyaux-Charente)
            Sporting Club Caluire (St.-Clair)
      May   Stade de Reims                             [founded as FCF Reims]
1970        Olympique Lyonnais (Lyon)                  [founded as FC Lyon]
            Arago Sport Orléanais (Orléans)
            FC de Rouen                                [dissolved 1977]  
1971        FCF Juvisy Essonne (Juvisy-sur-Orge)
            Paris St.-Germain FC
     May 16 FF Quemperois
1972        FCF Hénin-Beaumont
1973        En Evant de Guingamp                       [founded as Le St.-Brieuc Sports Chaffoteaux]
1974        FC Vendenheim Alsace
            Brest Bergo
1975        FC Vendenheim 
            COM Bagneux    
1977        Association Sportive de St.-Étienne        [founded as Racing Club  de St.-Étienne]
            USO Bruay-la-Buissière
1978        Etoile Sportive Ornaysienne de Football Vendée (La Roche-sur-Yon)
            FCF Homecourt
1980        Toulouse FC                                [founded as Toulouse Olympique Aérospatioal Club]
1990        Montpellier Hérault SC (Villeneuve-lès-Maghuelone)
1993        Rodez Aveyron Football (Rodez)
1995        FF Nîmes Métropole Gard                    [founded as FC Jonquierois]
1999        FF Yzeure Allier Auvergne (Yzeure)
 

About this document

Source for women clubs before 1930: [Fal 17-18]

Thanks to Erik Garin for corrections

Prepared and maintained by Hans Schöggl for the Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation

Author: Hans Schöggl
Last updated: 18 Sep 2024

(C) Copyright Hans Schöggl and RSSSF 2007/24
You are free to copy this document in whole or part provided that proper acknowledgement is given to the author. All rights reserved.